G1 Gear Microgeometry Analysis

Romax DT 2022.
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G1: Gear Micro-geometry Analysis

Table of Contents
• Learning Objectives
• Tutorial Requirements
• Task 1: Understanding Micro-geometry
• Purpose of micro-geometry modification
• Romax sign convention for gear mesh misalignment
• Romax sign convention for micro-geometry
• Definition of right and left flanks
• Gear mounting direction
• Positive torque
• Active flanks
• Sign of lead slope
• Sign of involute slope
• Tip relief
• Lead crowning
• Involute barrelling
• Evaluation limits
• Review of Task 1
• Task 2: Defining Micro-geometry Analysis Cases and Inspecting Baseline Results
• Micro-geometry analysis cases
• Inspecting the results of gear mesh misalignment
• Inspecting the safety factors
• Task 3: Running a Micro-geometry Analysis
• Checking and setting the misalignment source
• Analysis
• Task 4: Micro-geometry Analysis Results
• 2D Tab
• 3D Tab
• Plot Type
• Plot settings:
• Interpreting the results
• Task 5: Adding Micro-geometry Modifications
• Selecting the correct gear and flanks and applying micro-geometry
• Lead modification
• Involute modification
• Specifying the evaluation limits
• Reviewing the micro-geometry specifications (and spreadsheet entry)
• Comparing the results
• The effect of micro-geometry on gear rating
• Learning Review
Information:
Some screenshots may have been taken from earlier releases and you may find small differences in the results,
which shouldn't affect running this tutorial.

Romax DT 2022.1 Tutorial Packs (Enduro, Energy, Spectrum & Spin) - (HTML) 3
We endeavor to keep all tutorials up to date, but please give us feedback if you see any large differences.
Learning Objectives
In previous tutorials, we have covered the conversion of a concept helical gear pair to a detailed helical gear pair, and
the process of defining the gear parameters for the gear rating calculation. We saw that the rating settings, and
whether or not misalignment is included, can have a large influence on the rating results. If the misalignment of the
gear mesh is known, then it is possible to specify micro-geometry modifications to the tooth flanks to reduce the effect
of this misalignment, thus improving the durability and transmission error of the gear pair. In this tutorial, we will
analyze the effects of micro-geometry modifications on the predicted static transmission error, tooth contact area and
unit load levels. It is assumed that you have completed the introductory tutorials and that you are familiar with the
modelling and analysis of a gearbox with a detailed gear pair.
In this tutorial, you will:
• Define the micro-geometry analysis cases

• Define the micro-geometry for the gears
• Compare the results of transmission error, gear tooth contact area and peak load for the gear set 1, under two
conditions (with and without micro-geometry)
• Understand the effect of micro-geometry on the gear rating calculations, and include it in the static analysis
Contact patch without (left) and with (right) micro-geometry

Tutorial Requirements
You will require the following to complete this tutorial:
Property Value
Software Demonstrated: DS-11 Helical Gear and Spline Contact Analysis
Other Software Required: DS-01 Romax Enduro
Model(s) required: G1 A.rnx
Download all
Reference model(s): G1 B.rnx
Data file(s) required: N/A
Setting(s) to note: None
Tutorial Requirements
Task 1: Understanding Micro-geometry
This task is split into the following sub-tasks:
1. Purpose of micro-geometry
2. Gear mesh misalignment sign convention
3. Gear micro-geometry sign convention
Purpose of micro-geometry modification
Shaft, bearing, and housing deflections cause gear mesh misalignment, which can lead to a reduction in gear life
owing to the change in contact between two mating teeth. The effect of this can be counteracted by applying small
changes to the gear tooth profiles, called micro-geometry or topology modifications. Thus, contact stress, bending
stress and transmission error can be minimized, leading to noise reduction as well as improved gear durability.
There are three different types of micro-geometry modification :

Profile and lead definition
1. Involute (or Profile) modification is modification in the profile direction (from the root to the tip of the gear) allows
the user to account for tooth elastic deformation and errors due to casting, heat treatment and assembly.
2. Lead modification involves applying lead slope correction and lead crowning to the gears, running across the
face width of the gear.
3. Bias (not covered in this tutorial) refers to twist which can be induced in the manufacturing process.
Romax sign convention for gear mesh misalignment
• Positive misalignment occurs when the separation between the active flanks is towards the increasing Z
direction (top end) of the face width of the pinion local Z axis.
Positive misalignment sign convention
• Negative misalignment occurs when the separation between the active flanks is towards the decreasing Z
direction (bottom end) of the face width of the pinion local Z axis.

Negative misalignment sign convention
Romax sign convention for micro-geometry
Definition of right and left flanks
Definition of right and left flanks
A gear has its own local Z axis which is fixed to the gear for summation of contact damage in the gear rating, topology
modification and measurement. This local Z axis remains unchanged, irrespective of the mounting direction. When
looking along the local Z axis in the positive direction, the right flank is always to the right of the Z axis and the left
flank always to the left.
Gear mounting direction
Gear mounting direction

In a right mounted gear, the gear Z axis coincides with the Z axis of the shaft upon which it is mounted. In contrast, in
a left mounted gear, the gear Z axis is in the opposite direction to the Z axis of the shaft upon which it is mounted.
Generally, all cylindrical gears should be right mounted to ease results interpretation and consistency (left mounted
gears are normally for some bevel gear arrangements).
Positive torque
Rotational direction sign convention
A positive torque in Romax is defined as clockwise when looking in the direction of the shaft Z axis, not the gear local
Z axis. This may or may not be the same as the rotational direction.
Active flanks
The active flank is used in the contact life calculations, as well as the micro-geometry and tolerancing calculations. It
is automatically selected from the mounting direction and the rotational direction. There are eight possible cases
however eliminating left mounted gears leaves two common scenarios:
Case 1 Pinion Wheel

Mounting direction Right Right
Driving torque Positive
Active flank Right Right
Case 2 Pinion Wheel

Mounting direction Right Right
Driving torque Negative
Active flank Left Left
Determination of active flank for right-mounted gears

Sign of lead slope
• A positive value of lead slope indicates material removed at the bottom of the face width, whilst the top of the
face width remains unchanged.
Positive Lead Slope Sign Convention
• A negative lead slope indicates material removed at the top end of the face width, whilst the bottom end of the
face width remains unchanged.
Negative Lead Slope Sign Convention
Sign of involute slope
• A positive value of involute slope indicates material removed at the lower region (Start of Active Profile or SAP),
whilst the upper region (End of Active Profile or EAP) remains unchanged.

Positive Involute Slope Sign Convention
• A negative value of involute slope indicates material removed at the EAP, whilst the SAP remains unchanged
Negative Involute Slope Sign Convention
Tip relief
Tip relief is the amount of material removed, by the extent that it drops down the flank.

Tip relief
Lead crowning
This defines the tooth modification due to crowning along the face width of the tooth flank. If the value is positive, this
will give a negative tooth modification at the bottom and top lead evaluation limits, while the middle point between the
lead evaluation limits will be zero, leading to a material removal at two ends.
Lead crowning
Involute barrelling
This defines the tooth modification due to involute barrelling. If the modification is positive, it is the value at SAP and
EAP while the center point (mid-point between SAP and EAP) will be zero. If the modification is negative, the values
at SAP and EAP will be zero whereas the center point gets the value of modification.
Evaluation limits
These limits control the gear lead modification and gear involute modification limits. The default lead evaluation limits
are 15% and 85% respectively. The default involute evaluation limits are roll angle values equal to the SAP and to the
tip chamfer diameter respectively. Other values may be entered for use, or the default values may be reset. The relief
amounts may be applied either at the evaluation limits or at the base circle and tip chamfer diameter. This is specified
using the radio buttons.
Review of Task 1
The task is now complete. In task 2 you will define the gear micro-geometry topology cases. You should have learnt
the following:
• The purpose of micro-geometry

• The sign convention for gear mesh misalignment and gear micro-geometry

Task 2: Defining Micro-geometry Analysis Cases and Inspecting Baseline

Results
During this task you will:
• Define the gear micro-geometry analysis cases
Open the supplied model file G1 A .
G1 A model
The input shaft speed and the load case duration have no effect on the micro-geometry analysis, but the torque
conditions are very important. In this example, load cases are defined as 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of the 400
Nm input torque. These load cases are already defined for you in the model.
Micro-geometry analysis cases
To run a micro-geometry analysis, you need to create a micro-geometry analysis (or topology) case. A micro-
geometry analysis case is simply the term given to the micro-geometry definition for each load case. They are
separate from load cases, however, the torque and misalignments from each load case are used to automatically
create a micro-geometry analysis case and calculate the micro-geometry analysis results. These micro-geometry
analysis cases appear in the micro-geometry window.

Inspecting the results of gear mesh misalignment
Before we move on to look at the micro-geometry, it is important to know the misalignment values for the gear mesh
without any modifications. This will allow us to assess the magnitude and variation in misalignment across the
operating torque range and therefore choose suitable modifications to apply.
Run static analysis on the duty cycle before continuing.
If the gear mesh suffers a small misalignment across the entire torque range, a small modification that is efficient at all
torque levels can be applied. However, if the gear mesh suffers little misalignment under low load, but high
misalignment under high load, we must define micro-geometry to account for both conditions, and any point in
between.
1. Select Reports then Gears then Gea r M esh Misalig nments (FBetaX) Sum mary ….
Gear Mesh Misalignments (FBetaX) Summary menu item
2. Make a note of the results for the Low Speed Gear Set in the table below.
Load Case (% of 400 Nm torque) Gear Mesh Misalignment (um)

100 % Low Speed -28.46 um
20 % Low Speed
40 % Low Speed

60 % Low Speed
80 % Low Speed
Recording load case misalignment results
3. You can then close the Gear Mesh Misalignment Summary window.
You should find that the misalignment is negative; therefore, the separation of the gears is defined as in the below
image. This will help define the slope needed. You should also see that the misalignment value increases with torque,
as we would expect. There is a greater force acting to separate the gears, and this helps us define the value of
crowning and barrelling we may need (note that this trend may not hold true if housing or complex powerflows are
used). We shall use micro-geometry modifications to improve these initial results. The next step is to run micro-
geometry analysis and inspect the safety factors before making any modifications, to give baseline figures for contact
stresses, peak loads, and transmission error.
Gear contact location due to gear mesh misalignment
Inspecting the safety factors
Open the Low Speed Gear Set worksheet.
Click on Results from the list of options on the left of the window.
The report will appear on the right and you should find that the safety factors for 100% Low Speed are approximately
the same as those recorded in the table below.
No Micro/Geom. K-Hbeta = 1 Contact Bending

Pinion 1.07 1.22
Wheel 1.14 1.36

Double click on the RATING CASE DEFAULTS option from the left of the window.
Tick the Calcul ated checkbox (within the ISO / DIN face load distribution factor for contact).
Updates made to K-Hbeta calculation method
Click OK to close the window. This will apply the setting to all rating cases, unless there’s an override present.
Now run static analysis again for this case, by clicking the Run button, located top right of the worksheet.
Review the safety factors again for the Low Speed Gear Set; compare your results to those in the table below.
No Micro/Geom. K-Hbeta = Calc. Contact Bending

Pinion 0.88 0.92
Wheel 0.94 1.03

Contact and bending safety factors
We can see that all of the safety factors have decreased because we are now putting the gears through more realistic
misalignment conditions. The idea of applying micro-geometry would be to improve the safety factors for realistic
situations; hence we will define micro-geometry and check the safety factors with K-Hbeta as calculated.
Review of Task 2
This task is now complete. You should have learnt how to perform the following:
• Inspect the gear mesh misalignment results

• Inspect contact and bending safety factors
Task 3: Running a Micro-geometry Analysis
In this task you will learn how to:
1. Check and set the misalignment source.

2. Run the micro-geometry analysis.
This task requires the Helical Gear Micro-geometry Analysis capability.
Micro-geometry analysis can only be carried out if the associated load cases have all been run successfully. When
running the static analysis, Romax calculates the necessary inputs for the micro-geometry analysis and therefore you
cannot carry out micro-geometry analysis on a load case that has failed to run. Before running the micro-geometry
analysis, we also need to define whether the effect of misalignment will be included in the analysis, and if so, how is it
calculated?
Checking and setting the misalignment source
1. Open the Low Speed Detailed Gear Set worksheet.
2. To open the Micro-geometry window, select Modelling then Micro-geometry.
Opening the Micro-geometry window
3. We are going to work with the 100% Low Speed load case as it provides the biggest misalignment, so ensure
that this is selected from the duty cycle “DC for Single Stage Gearbox”.

Micro-geometry window
Tip: Micro-geometry Analysis Case
When performing a micro-geometry analysis Romax offers the flexibility to do the following:
1. Define and run a standalone (loose) micro-geometry loaded tooth contact analysis (Topology) case with user-
defined loading conditions (i.e. speed torque, power etc). This allows the user to view contact patterns, calculate
contact stress and transmission error etc.
2. Define and run a standalone (loose) gear rating using an ISO or AGMA standard, with user-defined loading
conditions (i.e. speed torque, power etc). This can optionally include a micro-geometry analysis from 1) to
calculate K-Hbeta, which is then used as an input to the rating calculation.
3. Run a gear rating (2) or a micro-geometry (1) analysis using boundary conditions from a static analysis load
case (i.e. using Romax to predict speed, torque, misalignment etc).
So far, we have been using option 3., where the case is generated from our defined load case.
Option 1 can be accessed from the micro-geometry worksheet by changing the drop-down to Loose micro-geometry
analysis cases . and clicking Open DC Editor…, and then c licking Modify… or Add... opens the Gear Micro-geometry
Analysis case window where you can define the case as described above, this is shown in the image within this
tipbox. These types of analysis cases can be managed by clicking the Open DC Editor… button located on the micro-
geometry worksheet.
Micro-geometry analysis cases can only be edited if they are loose (option 1.). This is because if they are from a load
or rating case then that is where their input properties are defined.

Analysis
From the Micro-geometry worksheet analyze the micro-geometry by clicking the Run button.
Analysis
Review of Task 3
This task is now complete. You should have learnt the following:
• How to set the misalignment source

• How to edit the settings for the micro-geometry analysis
• How to run the micro-geometry analysis for a single load case
Task 4: Micro-geometry Analysis Results
Now that we have run the analysis, what results do we get, and what do they mean? Results are presented in either
2D or 3D form, and the main features of the analysis include:
• Transmission error harmonics

• Peak load on the tooth
• Contact load distribution (contact pattern)
• Contact stress
2D Tab
The 2D tab will be active and a 2D graph will be shown as in the figure below. The drop-down menu for Plot type on
the left of the window allows you to select the type of result to plot on the Y axis. The X axis definition can be
controlled via the Roll axis drop-down list. By default, transverse transmission error vs roll angle results are selected
and the graph shows these (for the 100 % load micro-geometry analysis case) over the contact cycle for one tooth. To
view a report and show numerical data, click the Report tab.

2D micro-geometry analysis results
In this report you can see the maximum and minimum values of displacement in the line of action. The range gives
the difference between these two values, and is known as the transverse transmission error. It is not the maximum
value of displacement that defines the severity of the transmission error, but the difference between minimum and
maximum. The more room there is for displacement, the greater the vibrations that can be produced, which is
ultimately considered the source of gear whine.
Transverse transmission error report
Tip: Nomalize Transmission error
The transverse transmission error can be normalized to make it easier to compare transmission error traces from
different models, tools, measurements, etc.
The option can be found from File >Preferences >Global Preferences... >Micro-geometry settings and the
transmission error trace will be offset vertically on the displacement along the line of action axis, i.e., the shape and
amplitude of the trace do not change.

Micro-geometry settings in Global preferences
If you see the transmission error trace crossing x axis at 0 displacement in line of action as below, you can untick the
option and display the TE plots as shown in this tutorial.

Micro-geometry results using the normalize displacement in line of action option
Other results can also be viewed by changing the plot type as follows:
• Transverse transmission error tooth pass harmonics: The displacement amplitude of a single tooth as it passes
through the mesh at the various harmonics of the tooth meshing frequency.
Tooth pass harmonics
• Misalignment transmission error: The misalignment transmission error is over the whole contact cycle. For a
single mesh analysis, this value is simply an input to the analysis, and will not vary over the cycle.
• Misalignment transmission error tooth pass harmonics: The FFT harmonics of the misalignment transmission
error. This will be the source of the tilt input excitation in the dynamic analysis.
• Transverse transmission error and misalignment transmission error harmonics: For the present case in which 1
tooth pass was analyzed, this will display the same as tooth harmonics above (based on the total number of
tooth passes).
• Tooth transverse load: Shows the variation in the force acting on the gear tooth as it meshes.
• Theoretical contact ratio: The theoretical maximum face width in contact over the mesh cycle.
You can control the axis limits of the 2D graphs by right-clicking anywhere on the plot, clicking Tool Mode, and then
selecting the Pan Mode. Drag the plots around to alter the point of focus. You can also zoom, save, and edit chart
settings from here, as well as choose to see a data table of all points used to create the plot.
3D Tab
Click the 3D tab on the left-hand side of the window. Three types of presentation are available:

Changing the display type
• Contour plot: results are shown in a surface graph
Contour plot, load per unit length (contact pattern)
• Gear tooth: results are overlaid onto the gear teeth (each tooth is shown with the same results – it is not tooth
dependent).
• Gearbox: the gear tooth plot is shown with a view of the gearbox assembly
Plot Type
Some plots are point plots and can be animated over the period of a tooth pass. All plot types can be rotated in 3D. A
summary of each plot type is given in the Help documentation. To view this, from the Micro-geometry analysis results,
click the
icon and scroll down to 3D Results.

Tip: Contact Patch Report
The contact patches can also be accessed as per the gear set, load case and micro-geometry option.
To access the contact patch dialog go to Reports >Gear Reports >Contact Patch Report... .
In the contact patch report window select required options and then click on Generate Report button.
Contact Patch Report Settings

Contact Patch plot
The plot type drop-down menu under micro-geometry section displays the options same as micro-geometry analysis
results window. The difference being you set the load case and gear set at the beginning to study micro-geometry
whereas contact patch report gives you freedom to change the load case or gear set as required. The image size or
scale can be set up where the results would get displayed.
Multiple load cases and gear meshes can be selected by using Ctrl + click.
Tip: Gear and Bearing Report Selector
Romax has a dialog for selecting gear and bearing reports. This report gives you results for gears and bearings both
on the selection of gear set, the shaft and the load case. To access this report, go to Reports >System Level >Gear
and Bearing Report Selector . Note that you should have first run static analysis for at least one load case in the Duty
cycle editor.
For gear reports, selection of gear mesh is important whereas selection of shaft in bearing section is beneficial for
bearing reports.
Required report can be selected from the report tables section. Click the Generate Report button which opens the
report in new window.
Multiple selections can be made using Ctrl + click.

Gear and Bearing Report Selector
Gear Duty Cycle Results
Plot settings:
• Remove zero points checkbox removes any areas of the graph that report zero.
• Rotation range: allows you to select which part of the contact cycle is shown (only available on multi tooth
passes).
• Target teeth: allows you to select which tooth on the selected gear is displayed. Only teeth that have made
contact will be shown.
• Contacting teeth: allows you to select which tooth on the second gear of the pair is displayed.
• Overlay contacts: amalgamates the results from different flank pairs in order to build up a plot for a complete
flank surface. Shorter contact cycles can then be analyzed.
Interpreting the results
Before adding any micro-geometry modifications, we must first understand how the system performs without any
modifications. To access a clearer visualization of the contact pattern on the gear tooth, change the 3D plot type to
Gear tooth using the radio buttons immediately under the tabs.

Load per unit length on, with gear display
The Gear tooth plot shows the same contact pattern repeated on every tooth, and each tooth is a combination of
overlaid contacts of the teeth in mesh.
1. Revert back to the Contour plot and uncheck the Overlay contacts tick .
2. Change the Target teeth number to ‘ 7’ to see the individual tooth contact patterns.
Overlay contacts - off
Tick Overlay contacts again.
Tip: Root Stress Analysis of External and Internal Gears
While we study the contact patterns on the face of gears there is one more significant analysis to be considered. It is
known that tooth bending failures are directly caused by stress state at the root or fillet regions of gear tooth. Romax
gives you analysis of root stresses on the gear tooth, and it is also equipped with root stress analysis capability for
internal gears.
To generate the results:

1. Click on the Root stress analysis… button in the 3D tab of micro-geometry analysis window. Before running the
analysis you can modify the mesh and specify calculations to be performed, which will determine what results
are available.
2. You can select the respective tab to view results.
For more detailed guidance on root stress analysis, refer to tutorial on root stress G5: Gear Root Stress.

Gear root stress analysis results
It is clear that in its current state the gear suffers heavy edge loading, with a peak load per unit length of 930 N/mm.
This edge loading is a result of the mesh misalignment and will inevitably reduce the life of the gear as well as leading
to poor NVH characteristics. The tooth is weakest towards the edge and tip, and high tip/edge loading can result in
tooth breakages.
If we revert to the 2D results (Plot type: Transverse transmission error), we can see that there is a peak to peak TE
value of 5.53 um. This is considered high and ideally, we would aim for a TE of less than 1-2 um, although this should
only be used as a rough guide. TE is considered directly proportionate to gear whine.
However, this does not relate directly to the sound pressure level heard by the occupants of the vehicle or passers-by,
therefore a low TE does not explicitly indicate low levels of audible whine. It is simply assumed that reducing the TE
will reduce the excitation force of whine, and therefore improve the system.
Assuming the design is fixed, and no changes can be made to shafts, bearings and gear macro-geometry, we must
use the micro-geometry modifications to try to shift this contact patch towards the center of the tooth to reduce edge
loading, spread the load widely to reduce the peak load, and minimize the transmission error.
As mentioned before, we need to define micro-geometry that is optimal across the whole operating range of the gear
set; therefore, we must define the peak loads and contact patterns for all the load cases. Currently we have only
analyzed one load case, so next we shall run the micro-geometry analysis for all the load cases at once.
To run the micro-geometry analysis for all load cases:
Close the Micro-geometry analysis dialog to return to the Micro-geometry worksheet.
1. Close the Micro-geometry Analysis window to return to the Micro-geometry worksheet.

2. Navigate to the Analysis tab, if you need to rerun the analysis click Duty Cycle to run static analysis on the duty
cycle.

3. Now click on icon Run All Cases , to run all micro-geometry analysis cases.
Run all cases
4. The Results window will open once the analysis is complete.
5. In the Case: drop-down list, you should now see all load cases available.
Analysing all micro-geometry cases at once
By moving between the 2D tab and the 3D tab, make a note of the Transverse transmission error range, the
maximum Normal load per unit length , and the Maximum contact stress for each load case below.
Load Case Transverse TE range (um) Peak Normal Load per Unit Length (N/mm) Max Contact Stress (MPa)
20 % Low Speed
40 % Low Speed
60 % Low Speed

80 % Low Speed
100 % Low Speed 5.53 930 2123
Record results in a table
Close the Results window and return to the Micro-geometry worksheet for the next task.
Review of Task 4
• How to view the micro-geometry analysis results for all load cases
• How to view the transmission error of a gear mesh for a given load case
• How to generate 2D and 3D plots of peak load on the gear tooth, and maximum contact stress
• How to change the plot type, and axis measurements
Task 5: Adding Micro-geometry Modifications
We have already established that micro-geometry modifications can be applied to gear teeth in order to improve their
durability and NVH characteristics. When defining the modifications, consideration should be given to the
manufacturability and achievable tolerances – there is little point defining 2.4 um of crowning if the minimum
achievable tolerance is +/-10 um. The resultant modification could be up to 12 um of crowning and this may in fact be
more detrimental than none at all. Therefore a detailed sensitivity study would need to be carried out to assess the
robustness of the design intent. In this task we will add the following modifications:
Parameter Pinion 1 Wheel 1

Lead crowning (um) 5 0
Lead slope (um) -20 0
Involute barreling (um) 20 0
Tip relief (um) 25 45
Tip relief start (deg) 34 29
Microgeometry modifications for Task 5
* This geometry is provided as an example only – keep in mind better solutions may be possible.
Selecting the correct gear and flanks and applying micro-geometry
Before applying micro-geometry modifications, you need to determine the correct gear and tooth flanks on which to
apply it. When positive torque is applied to one end of a system, there will be a driving flank that imparts the torque to
the driven flank of the driven gear (an example being when a car engine is driving the wheels). However, if the torque
sign is reversed, the opposite flank of the tooth is loaded, and the driving becomes the driven gear (i.e. the wheels

drive the engine). This is often called the coast condition (i.e. the vehicle is coasting). To do this, from the Micro-
geometry worksheet:
Select the 100% load case from the list and check the static analysis has been run.
Micro-geometry load case selection
Select the Analysis case option from the top left box.
Check which gear is driving and driven and which flanks are active in the report.

Determining driving / driven tooth flanks
In this example we can see the driving gear is Low Speed Pinion (Right Flank). Thus, for the micro-geometry to have
an effect, we need to apply it to the pinion right flank. In Romax, the micro-geometry definition is considered
conjugate, therefore it does not matter if the modifications are made to the pinion, the wheel, or split between the two
(this is often decided mainly by manufacturing constraints). In doing this, it means we only must specify one lot of
micro-geometry, reducing analysis times.
There are two ways to specify the micro-geometry, either via target definition, defined by specific values for crowning,
barrelling and slope etc, or by inputting measured data as a grid of points, like a contour map. There is also an option
to import a profile definition via X and Y coordinates of the involute and the lead / profile. For now, we will simply enter
target micro-geometry as defined in the input data section.
The active flank on this gear is the right flank, so select Right flank target form from the center left pane.
You will see the contour plot in the bottom left show as flat, and a summary of the definition on the right of the box.
You are now ready to define the micro-geometry of the gear, so double-click on RIGHT FLANK DESIGNED FORM .
The Gear Flank Modifications window will now open (see the below Image). Within this window, you can make
alterations for the lead and involute modification, as well as the bias.
Gear Flank Modification dialog
Lead modification
A lead modification is a small change to the selected gear flank running across the face width of the selected gear in
the gear pair.

The options on the Gear Lead Modifications window can be used to alter the shape of the lead of the gear, to improve
the adverse effect caused by mesh misalignment ultimately leading to a reduction in gear life. The options are:
Linear relief, Bottom: Sets the starting point and the amount of the linear relief at the beginning of the face width of the
gear flank.
Parabolic relief, Bottom: Sets the starting point and the amount of parabolic relief at the beginning of the face width of
the gear flank.
Linear relief, Top: Sets the starting point and the amount of the linear relief at the end of the face width of the gear
flank.
Parabolic relief, Top: Sets the starting point and the amount of parabolic relief at the end of the face width of gear
flank. Generally, Romax specifies a linear tip relief, however parabolic relief offers the option to specify the relief whilst
maintaining a tangential relationship (i.e. continuous transition) between flank and tip.
Lead crown: Defines the tooth modification due to crowning along the face width of the tooth. If the value is positive,
this will give a negative tooth modification at the bottom and top evaluation limits, and the mid-point between the
evaluation limits will be zero, leading to material removal at both ends. The opposite will apply for a negative value of
tooth crown modification.
Lead slope: Defines the linear slope along the face width. A positive value means a positive slope along the face and
a maximum value of zero. A negative value means a negative slope, with the maximum value still zero.
All modifications are applied at the evaluation limits, and the end values are extrapolated.
To edit the lead modification, click Lead... , and the Gear Lead Modifications window will open, as shown in the
below Image. We will apply the following lead modifications.

Lead modification
Input Lead crown = “5 um”, and Lead slope = “-20 um”.
Click Update Graph to view the modifications.
You can see that the lead profile has been updated. The red dotted lines indicate the evaluation limits.
Click OK to finish defining the lead modification for the right flank of Pinion 1.
As lead modification (and micro-geometry in general) is only usually applied to one of the flanks, we will not apply lead
modification to Wheel 1.
Involute modification
An involute modification is a small change to the selected gear flank running from tip to root of the selected gear in the
gear pair. To edit the involute modification, click the Involute button, and the Gear Involute Modifications window will
open.

Involute Modification
Input Involute barrelling = “20 um”.
Input Linear relief, Tip = “25 um”, starting at 34 degrees .
Leave all other definitions as default.
Click Update Graph to review the modifications and confirm by clicking OK .
Click OK again to return to the Micro-geometry window.
You can see updated modification contour plot as shown in below image. We now need to modify the tip relief applied
to the driven gear flank, click OK to close window. This helps move the contact patch away from the tip and root of the
mating teeth. Return to the Micro-geometry worksheet, then:
Modification contour plot
Change the selected gear to Low Speed Wheel .
Double-click RIGHT FLANK DESIGNED FORM .
Select Involute and update the Linear relief, Tip to “45 um” starting at 29 Degrees .

Click OK and OK again to confirm, and return to the Micro-geometry worksheet. The target form contour plot should
now have been updated.
Specifying the evaluation limits
Although we are going to use the default values for the evaluation limits, it is very important to review them as they
define where the modifications are measured from and to, changing their overall influence. This is also important for
manufacturing as without this information the gear could not be manufactured correctly. This completes the micro-
geometry definition for this step. This is a good point to save your model. Next, we will run the static analysis and then
continue with the micro-geometry analysis to compare the influence of the modifications.
From the Micro-geometry window scroll down to the EVALUATION LIMITS heading . Double-click this and ensure the
Lead limits are set to 15% of the face width at the bottom and 85% at the top (as in the below image). This is the
default value and defines the point from which the crowning will be measured, indicated on the micro-geometry plot by
a red dotted line.
Editing the evaluation limits

Reviewing the micro-geometry specifications (and spreadsheet entry)
In many instances, there may be multiple load cases, and multiple gear sets, and both flanks of a tooth may have
modifications defined. To manage all the associated data, Romax will generate a spreadsheet of information that can
be copied and saved directly to an Excel worksheet or other format. This also allows complete micro-geometry
modifications to be imported, changing many gears sets at once, and therefore saving entering individual values.
To access this spreadsheet, activate the Gear Micro-geometry window , click the Spreadsheet Icon and select Gear
Set Default Tooth Micro-geometry Spreadsheet. Editing data here will automatically update the Micro-geometry
worksheet for each gear flank. (See below images)
Gear micro-geometry spreadsheet
Click OK to confirm and close the window. You may see some warning messages. It is always wise to check these,
and in this case, we have decided that it is perfectly acceptable to continue with this model for training purposes. You
must weigh up in every case the warnings which you are given, and how they will affect your model and its purpose.
Even if you do see some warnings, you should not see any errors. There are many different types of warnings
message you can see. Some, in some circumstances are fine to be ignored, whereas others will require direct action.

As these warnings are not going to hinder the progress of the tutorial in any way, it is fine to ignore them in this
situation and click Close.
Comparing the results
We need to run micro-geometry for all cases, this requires we rerun the static analysis to generate the inputs for the
micro-geometry analysis. This can be done from the DC editor, but the software will also prompt you to when trying to
run the micro-geometry, let’s do it this way.
1. Open/activate the Detailed Gear worksheet for the Low Speed Gear Set
2. From here, open the Micro-geometry worksheet by going to the Modelling menu and clicking Micro-geometry
Icon.
3. As before, select Analysis then A ll Ca ses Icon… (See below image)
Analyzing all cases at once
Review the transmission error range in the line of action, and the 3D contour plots for peak load per unit length and
maximum contact stress and fill in the table below. Compare it to the table without Micro-geometry in previous section.
Load Case Transverse TE range (um) Peak Normal Load per Unit Length (N/mm) Max Contact Stress (MPa)
20 % Low Speed
40 % Low Speed
60 % Low Speed
80 % Low Speed
100 % Low Speed 1.30 884 1931
Record results in a table
You should also notice that the contact pattern of the gear mesh for ALL load cases is now more centered and evenly
distributed (see below images).

Peak load without (left) and with (right) micro-geometry modifications for 100% load case
TE without (left) and with (right) micro-geometry modifications for 100% load case (note range)
The effect of adding this micro-geometry has not changed the peak load or maximum contact stress significantly;
however, the transmission error is markedly reduced.
As transmission error is considered proportionate to gear whine emitted by the gearbox, we can say that for the same
performance (if not slightly improved life), the gear set is highly likely to have far more favorable NVH performance
than its unmodified predecessor. The centered contact patch will improve the life of the gear greatly and help minimize
its sensitivity to misalignment, a variable that can change over a gearbox’s life as components wear and ‘bed in,’ or
change with temperature variations.
Remember this is just an estimated definition of micro-geometry based on experience and it is possible there are
better solutions available.
Investigate the effect of changing one of the micro-geometry parameters at a time and seeing what influence it has.

The effect of micro-geometry on gear rating
There are various options for including the effect of misalignment and micro-geometry in the gear ratings, depending
on the level of detail required. It is possible to rate the gears without the effect of misalignment and micro-geometry to
see if the fundamental gear design is suitable, however including these effects is important to gear design, when
assessing the gear’s performance in its actual operating environment. Uneven load on the gear tooth will lead to high
contact stresses and a reduction in the gear life. This uneven load distribution along the face width is caused by the
equivalent mesh misalignment in the plane of action, caused in turn by the load-induced deformation of gears and
housing, and displacements of bearing; as well as by manufacturing deviations and thermal distortions.
As micro-geometry is used to counteract the effect of misalignment, (we have already demonstrated it can greatly aid
in restoring a favorable contact pattern/load distribution), rating a gear with and without taking this into consideration
can heavily influence the predicted safety factors. The principle of including the micro-geometry in the rating relies on
the use of the face load distribution factor, or K-Hbeta, defined in ISO 6336-1. K-Hbeta is the ratio of peak load per
unit length over the average load per unit length, along a line drawn through the pitch point of the tooth. If K-Hbeta is
equal to one, this represents an ideal loading condition where the load is distributed evenly along the tooth. This will
be the point at which the contact stress is lowest.
In this tutorial, we first looked at our model without micro-geometry applied, with K-Hbeta equal to 1. The safety
factors which we saw were quite favorable; however, this was assuming ideal operating conditions. We then set the K-
Hbeta to calculated (allowing Romax to calculate this value, taking into account the system deflections, misalignment
and tooth contact from the micro-geometry analysis), to simulate more realistic conditions. Here, the results lowered,
with several falling below 1 i.e. failing. Now that we have included micro-geometry in our design, we can look at its
safety factors, with K-Hbeta still set to calculated. Hopefully, our micro-geometry modifications will have made
improvements.
1. Close the Micro-geometry Analysis window and Micro-geometry worksheet, and return to the De tailed Ge ar
worksheet .
2. From the menu on the top left, double-click RATI NG CA SE DEFAULTS .
3. Check that K-Hbeta is still set to Calculated . If not, set it to calculated and rerun the static analysis, continue to
examine the updated safety factors.

Using micro-geometry analysis to calc. K-Hbeta
Micro/Geom. K-Hbeta = Calc. Contact Bending

Pinion 1.02 1.15
Wheel 1.10 1.29
Contact and bending results
The value of K-Hbeta is given in the table of factors shown under the RATING CASE heading (See below image). You
should find that the safety factors vary depending on the load distribution setting, and as expected the safety factors
are highest when we assume an ideal loading distribution.

Finding the calculated K-Hbeta value
With no modifications, the safety factor for the pinion contact stress fell below 1, however with suitable modifications
to account for the misalignment of the gear pair, this is raised (albeit only slightly) to above 1, ultimately allowing the
gears to pass the rating. The improvement in the load distribution can easily be seen and quantified by the reduction
in K-Hbeta as it approaches 1.0. By applying micro-geometry modifications that counteract the misalignment and aid
in creating a centered, distributed load, the resulting stresses are reduced and increase the life of the gear. However,
note that the micro-geometry specified was derived for a single load case and as torque changes, so does the
misalignment of the gear pair. Thus, the modifications may have an adverse effect on the safety factors at other
torque values. It therefore follows that when deriving the modifications to make, the user studies a complete torque
sweep for each powerflow through a system to ensure a robust and efficient solution.
This completes the task and the tutorial.
See the tables below to review a comparison of all the results.
No Micro-geometry, K-Hbeta With Micro-geometry, K-Hbeta

No Micro-geometry, K-Hbeta = 1
Calculated Calculated
Contact Bending Contact Bending Contact Bending
Pinion1 1.07 1.22 0.88 0.92 1.02 1.15
Wheel 1.14 1.36 0.94 1.03 1.10 1.29
Comparison of contact and bending results for different K-Hbeta
No Micro-geometry (K-Hbeta = Calc.) Micro-geometry Applied (K-Hbeta = Calc.)

Normal Load Normal Load
Transverse TE Max Contact Transverse TE Max Contact
per Unit Length per Unit Length
range (um) Stress (MPa) range (um) Stress (MPa)
(N/mm) (N/mm)
20 % Low
2.91 321 1253 1.10 292 1104
Speed
40 % Low
3.17 484 1535 1.59 465 1390
Speed
60 % Low
3.97 634 1756 1.29 612 1599
Speed
80 % Low
4.76 783 1951 1.11 750 1776
Speed
100 % Low
5.53 930 2123 1.30 884 1931
Speed
Load case results comparison

Tip: Variable Friction Coefficient for AGMA Scuffing Analysis
When the AGMA 2001-C95 rating standard is selected, either as the default for all gears in Analysis Settings, or for an
individual gear set, additional methods are available for calculating mean coefficient of friction. This can either be an
‘Approximation by a constant’, which uses Equation 85 from the AGMA Information Sheet 925-A03, a user-defined
input, or based on an ‘Empirical equation’, which is an adapted version of Equation 88 from the mentioned information
sheet.
The user-defined value can be specified from the gear set worksheet by double-clicking on RATING CASE and editing
the mesh rating case. In the Mesh rating case window, a tick box is available to specify a user-defined friction
coefficient. This will result in a constant coefficient of friction.
The ‘Approximation by a constant’ method also produces a constant value which is calculated as mentioned above.
The scuffing results can be viewed in the ‘Gear Scuffing Calculation for Current Load Case’ report, which can be
accessed from the gearbox window by going to Reports and Gear Reports. If either the user-defined or the constant
method is selected, a single value is used and reported in the table.
If the ‘Empirical equation’ method is used, the friction coefficient will be displayed in the table as ‘Variable’ and below
the table there will be a plot of how the friction coefficient varies by roll angle. If the ‘Use advanced load sharing for
flash temperature calculation’ tick box in Analysis Settings is not ticked, this will be a 2D plot and the mean friction
coefficient is shown to be a function of the roll angle and is the same across the face of the tooth. If the advanced load
sharing option is checked, the plot in the scuffing reports will be reported in 3D, highlighting the change across the
tooth face that the advanced load sharing analysis allows.
Note that the empirical equation is not valid at or near the operating pitch point as the sliding velocity goes to zero. In
Romax's implementation of it, a constant mean friction coefficient is shown at this point.

AGMA variable friction scuffing analysis
Tip: Including micro-geometry effects in static analysis
Before we conclude this tutorial there is an important setting in Analysis settings window. This includes the effects of
gear tooth micro-geometry in static analysis.
When you tick the setting, you get a slight difference in the results than the results produced above. Normally, micro-
geometry of the gear flank together with gear misalignment moves the tooth contact point away from the geometric
center of the tooth flank. Such a contact shift will generate a moment about the center of the tooth flank. The force
offset along the axial direction of the shaft is quite significant in terms of the bearing forces. These effects are
significant when it comes to larger gears mounted on shorter shafts such as planet gears.
Include gear micro-geometry in static analysis option
When the option is ticked the results would be displayed as follows:

With Micro-geometry, K-Hbeta Calculated Contact Bending

Pinion 1.024 1.152
Wheel 1.099 1.287
Results with 'Include micro-geometry in static analysis' checked in analysis settings
These results are slightly different than the micro-geometry results as mentioned above. The reason we did not use
the setting before starting this tutorial is that we normally stick to the factory settings of the software while writing
tutorials. In your case, it should be ticked if required.
There are further micro-geometry settings tab in the analysis settings and you could refer to help for all the options in
that tab.
Review of Task 5
• How to specify micro-geometry modifications to both the involute and the lead
• The effect micro-geometry can have on contact patterns, safety factors, stresses and loads on the tooth
• How to rate gears excluding and including micro-geometry-based face load distribution calculations
Learning Review
In this tutorial you should have learnt:
• The theory behind micro-geometry including its purpose in our calculations, and the sign conventions Romax
uses
• How to define the load cases for micro-geometry analysis
• How to inspect the gear mesh misalignment results
• How to set the misalignment source
• How to edit the settings for the micro-geometry analysis
• How to run the micro-geometry analysis for a single load case
• How to view micro-geometry analysis results for all load cases
• How to view the transmission error of a gear mesh for a given load case
• How to generate 2D and 3D plots of peak load on the gear tooth, and maximum contact stress
• How to change the plot type, and axis measurements
• How to specify micro-geometry modifications to both the involute and lead
• The effect micro-geometry can have on contact patterns, safety factors, stresses and loads on the tooth
• How to rate gears excluding and including face load distribution calculations based on micro-geometry, and thus
understand the effect of micro-geometry
Further tutorials relating to this topic are:
• PE2 – Hypoid Gear Design and Rating

• G2 - Macro Geometry Design and Optimization
• G3 - Helical Gear Micro-geometry Optimization
• G5 – Gear Root Stress

Should you require any assistance with this or any of the other tutorials, do not hesitate to contact your Romax
representative.

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